Harrow



Feb. 19, 1929 H. E. ALTGELT HARROW 2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed Dec. 11, 1924 Feb. 19, 1929' 1,703,051

H. E. ALTGELT HARROW Filed Dec. 11, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 1 Lara... J-

Patented Feb. 19, 1929.

UNITED STATESI P' ATENT OFFICE.

Hermann. AITGELTQO Q O BEND, D ANA, SIGNOR rLowwoRKs, F se 'rH 13am), INDIANA,

TO onlvaa 01 1mm nnnnow.

Application filed December 11,1924. Serial noi'z smss.

This invention relates to improvementsin barrows and more particularly tothat of the spring-tooth type,one object of the invention being to provide simple and GlllCIGQlIIIIQJl: ually' operable means for manipulating the spring teeth in raising or lowering the same; to so construct and arrange such means that the use of hand levers shall he obviated and so thatthe central member shall be-loc ed within convenient reach oi an operator riding on a tractor-,and to so construct the manually operable means and. connect thesame with the harrow teeth carrying members the teeth of all the units of a multiple-unit harrow may be manipulated simultaneously by a single manually operable'contro'l member. I I I I A furtherobject isto soconstructa. multi ple-unit barrow that the cross bar, through the medium oi which the teeth of the several units are adjusted or manipulated, shall have direct connection with each of the several units, whereby such rigidity of the front portion of the harrow shall be obtained as to en hancethe effectual breaking-up of hard lumps of earth and the leveling of high spots, it is a further object to make the units or sections otcomparativelylight and flexible material, so that the rear end of the harrowshall be quite'ilex'ible.

With these and other invention consists of construction and combinations as hereinafter set forth and pointed out in the claims. a 1 I 1 la the accompanying drawings;

Fi ure l is a plan view of .a spring toot-h harrow embodying my improvement-s;-

Figure 2 i side view objects in view, the

Figure i'lis a detail View showing the rock- I ing cross bar or beam and its connection with the frames of the harrow unitsfor sections, and I Figures 4 and 5 are enlarged detail views 1 lustratingthe clutch means for the 'operat-.

'1 ing or contr l screw of the harrow teeth manipulating means.

' In the en'ibodF nent of the invention illustrated in the" ;awings,- the harrow is shown comprising two side units or sections 2, 2, and an intermediate unit or section Bearving brackets 4, 5, the frames of the several units "for the accomnio dation. of transverse rock-shafts 37 to which spring harrow teeth 8 are suitably that ,wardly, from the member 1 i and in certain novel features ot parts and 6 are secured to secured; The front and rear brackets 6 on the intermediate unit frame andthe brackets are pivotally connected by horizontal pivots 10 withthe ears 9,01 brackets 6 on the intermediate unit frame, and thusthe several unit frames are spaced apart and connected'by horizon-tal pivots. I I a i Near-the forward end of the harrow, a transverse, rocking cross bar or beam 11 is located. This" cross bar 1 or beam preterab'ly com-prises two members 12 and '13, spaced apart throughout themaj-or portion of their lengths by angle spacers or braces 14. Atresp'ective ends of the bar or beam 1-1',the;me-m'- hers 12, 13, thereott'are' brought together'and riveted as at 1-5,-tlie;extremit ies of sai-cl'members being bent te ter-m arms or brackets 16 projecting upwardly from the member 12 and arms or brackets 17 grojeeting down- T he depending arms or' brackets 17 are pivotal ly connected with brackets 18 rigidly secured to the torward ends of the frames of units 2, =2, and an arm or bracket 19, is secured to and de pends tronr an intermediate ,portion of the bar -or beam 11 and is p ivotal' ly connected with an -arm or :bracket 20 ti ted to the irame of the intermediate unit8. Thus--the bar or beam 11 is connected directly With' -the frames t-theseveral units and is so-mounted as to be capable oi? being rocked. I The arms or-braokets 16 projecting upwardly from the upper member 1201: :the rocking bar-or heam il -are; connected by 'lin'ks Q l with arms 22 secured to fithe forward shafts 7, 7,

ofthe side-units '2, 2 'of'the harrow, and said 'armsareconnected, by rods '23 wrth similar.

arms 'on theother shatts "not these units.

' Spaced brackets 2 l2 l are secured upon the intermediate portion ottheljupper 'member 12 otthe rocking baror"beam and are contw sted by a link 25 with an arm-26 0n the" forward shaft 7 of the intermediate unit-3,,- said arm 26 bt1ngc0nnected,'by a rod 217, with similar arms on the other shafts of this unit. I

T he pivotal connection ofthe forwardend of the link with the spaced brackets 24 011 the rocking bar or beam 'may conveniently be efiected by bending the tor\\'ard portion of said li-nklaterally to provide 'apii-votpin 0 25 which passes through b0th-ot-' said brackets 24. I

From the construction and arrangement of parts above described, it is apparent that if the transverse forward bar or beam 11 berocked in one direction, the shafts 7 of all the units will be turned in a direction to cause the raising of all the spring teeth of the harrow and that if said bar or beam be rocked in the other direction, the teeth may be lowered to the desired extent so that they may be made to assume the most efficient working positions, according to the condition of the ground being harrowed. Provision is made however, (as hereinafter desc 'ibed) to so adjust the structure with respect to the draft tractor, that the relative depth of penetration of the forward and rear teeth may be controlled.

Inclined bars or standards 28 are hinged or pivotally connected at their lower ends with thetransverse bar or beam 11 through the medium of arms or brackets 29 secured. to and depending from the lower member 13 of said bar or beam,the pivotal connections between said bars or standards and the rock ing bar or beam being approximately in horizontal alignment with the pivotal connections between said rocking bar or beam and the frames of the barrow, units. From their 7 connection with the rocking bar or beam 11, the bars or standards 28 project forwardly and upwardly and also inwardly toward each other, so that their upper, approximately vertical portions 30 will be suitably spaced apart to receive and provide a pivot mounting 31 for a sleeve 32. To properly support the bars or standards 28, braces 33 are provided, the upper for.- ward ends of the latter being attached by a bolt 33 to the upper portions of said bars or standards and the rear lower portions being loosely connected with the forward tooth shaft 7 of the intermediate unit, the loo, connection being such as not to interfere with the proper turning of said shaft.

A screw shaft 3% (having a hand crank or manually operable part 35 at its free end) 6X- tends freely through the pivotal sleeve 32 and enters a tube 36, the latter being adapted interiorly to cooperate with the thread of the screw shaft, which thread is enclosed within the tube. Longitudinal movement of the screw shaft may be prevented by members 37 and 38 applied to said shaft above and below the sleeve 32. The rear lower end of the tube 36 of the screw mechanism is provided with a projection 39 which enters between the spaced brackets 24-, 24 on the upper member 12 of the rocking bar or beam 11 and is con nected therewith by the pivot pin 25 at the forward end of the link 25. Thus the tubular member 36 of the screw mechanism is operatively connected with an intermediate portion of the rocking bar or beam.

1 do not in this case, claim the specific construction of the screw shaft and tube devices sary to manipulate above described, the same constituting the subject-matter of a copending application filed February 2, 1924, by Ernest l/V. Richards and Er11est-J.Janso, and designated by Serial No. 690,292, now Patent No. 1,618,677.

It is apparent that when the screw shaft is turned by the operator, motion will be imparted, through the tube 36 to the rocking bar or beam 11, and the shafts 7 of the several harrowv units will be turned toraise or lower the harrow teeth as previously explained. Thus, all the teeth of the barrow may be n'ianipulated by the normal operation of a single screw mechanism, the control or han dle portion of which may be disposed within convenient reach of an operator seated on a tractor, and the use of lever mechanism for manipulating the teeth of each unit isobviated, While the amount of power necesthe harrow teeth will be n'iinimized.

The screw mechanism which I prefer to employ is of the ball-bearing type such for e iniple, as. that disclosed in the pending application hereinbefore identified, and it is desirable that means be provided to guard against accidental turning of the manually operable screw shaft of said mechanism when the harrow is being transported over rough ground. This may be accomplished by means of the clutch devices shown in detail in Figs. d and 5 of the drawings.

The member38 secured to the screw shaft 34 may be made in the form of a tubular casting and a portion lO thereof may havean oval or elliptical contour exterior-1y. to pro vide a wearing surface for two friction clutch jaws 41, 41 disposed at respective sides of said portion 40. The jaws ll are formed at the upper ends of plates 42 which constitute shanks for said jaws and these plates or shanks are loosely mounted near their lower ends upon a spacer tube l3 on the bolt 33"; Springs ie; are employed to press the jaws toward the portion sh) of the member or casting 38 and these springs are mounted on a bolt 45 with their outer ends bearing against nuts d6, on said bolt, and their inner ends seated against shoulders all, on the clutch members. 7 i V V Heretoforc, with spring tooth harrows having a low hitch connection with a tractor, there has been a tendency for the harrow to run on the nose which means that the front teeth willenter the ground too much while the rear teeth will not penetrate the ground enough if at all. To overcome such obj ection able operation of a spring tOO'iZiIlltllOW, the draft devices will have rigid coi'inection with the cross bar or beam of the structure, but provision is made to permit vertical adjus+- ment so that the dentin of penetration of the front and rear teeth relatively to each other can be controlled. To these ends, draftbars 4-8 are attached to the cross bar or beam ll lll) 5 29 an, some:

ate in parallelportions lea-r1 1 t attho has" forwardly, tei m b'etwe'en which, a ably be" tractor t i o EVV bQiI block positions. ries of holes 53 forth'e accommodation otc'onstrength-ret ree tlrat"the connection of the braces wi h the bars 28 may beadjiisted to adjustthe'draw barsin 'v'eitical planes.

By means of the draw-bar arrangement above described, the harrow can be caused to worl; on an even keel, andthe front spring teeth can be caused to penetrate the ground to greater depth thanthe depth of penetration of the rear teeth by setting the front end of the draw bars high, or the front ends of the draw bars may be set low and thus cause the rear teeth to domore work than the front ones. In other words, either a down pressure can be brought to bear on the front end of the harrow by settingthe frontends of the drawbars high, or an up-pull may be effected by setting the front ends of the draw-bars low,

and furthermore, the harrow will be pro; vented from running on the nose.

Various slight changes might be made in the details of construction of the invention without departing from the spirit of the latter or limiting'its scope and hence I do not restrict myself to theprecise details herein set forth. i

Having fully described. my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters- Patent, is

1. In a harrow, the combination with a frame member, rock shafts'mounted therein, and harrow teeth carried-by said r-ockshafts, of manually operable screw'mechanism incl uding a member operatively connected with said rock-shafts, and forwardly projecting means for supporting said screw mechanism on the barrow. I

2. In a harrow, the combination witlfa frame member, rock-shafts mounted therein, barrow teeth carried by the rock-shafts, and a rocking bar mounted on and extending over said frame member and operatively connected with the rock-shafts, ofmanually operable screw mechanism, said screw mechanismineluding a member operatively connected'with said rocking bar and a rotatable member, and means for supporting said members beyoudtheframe member.

In a harrow, the'combination with a frame member, rock-shaftsmounted therein, harrow teeth carried by the rock-shafts, and

2a rocking bar associated with saidframe member and operatively connected with the rock-shafts, of manually operable screw mechanism, said screw mechanism including a fiiienile'r *eperatiyel "connected-with said rocl bar land a rotatable "member, "a frie tie'n ma ch for eventing accidental turn-- ing of rotatable i her ofsaid' scr'ew'mecha- "0 sin, me ans for supporting said anembei's.

w, the combination with a pluplurality ofiharrow teeth carried-by each rock shaft, "of a manually operable-screw niechan i--means-connecting dne-memberof I a V said screw mechanism-with t-he-rock-shafts of the several limits, and means projecting upwardly and forwardly for supporting said screw mechanism in position tobe operated from a towing tractor.

I 5. In a harrow, the combination with a plurality of pivotally connected harrow units, each including'a plurality of rock shafts and harrow teeth carried by saidrock shafts, a rocking bar associated with the several units and operatively connected with the r.0ck-, "shafts thereof, of standards extending forwardly, upwardly and inwardly from said rocking, bar, braces extending from oneof said harrow units to said standards manually operable screw mechanism including a member connected with said rocking bar and a rotatable member, and a mounting for the rotatable screw I member, said mounting having pivotal support between the forward portions of said forwardly, upwardly and inwardly extending standards;

6. In a harrow, the combination of a plurality of harrow units arranged side by side and pivotally connected together, each unit including a plurality of rock-shafts and harrow teethcarried thereby, means operatively connecting said rock-shafts, a rocking bar comprising two members spaced apartintermediate of their ends-and secured together; near their ends, braces between said members,

the ends of said members being bent upwardly and downwardly respectively to provide at taching arms, and other. attaching arms secured to the bar members and projecting upwardly and downwardly therefrom respect1vely,'operat1ve connections between said upturned attaching arms of the rockingbar and one rock shaft of each unit, the downturned attaching arms being pivoted to therespective frame units, and means connected with one upturned attaching arm for rocking said rocking bar. V

7; In a harrow, the combination with a frame member, barrow: teeth mounted therein, a rocking bar mounted transversely on the frame member and operatively connected with said teeth to raise and lower them, and 1 means operable normally. to hold said rocking bar against rocking, of draft bars connected with said rocking bar, members extending from the rocking bar to support the rocking bar, braces for said inclined standards, screw mechanism having one of its members supported by said inclined standards and having another of its members connected With said rocking bar, draft bars c0nnected With said rocking); bar, and braces pivoted to said draft bars and adjust-ably o0nnected With said inclined standards to support the draft bars fixed at different positions oi. vertical adjustment In testimony whereof, I have signed this specification.

HERMAN E. ALTGELT. 

